The Cauldron of Water's Blessing emitted a mystical light, as the fresh blood dispersed in the water was drawn together by an unseen force, slowly forming in intricate patterns on the smooth back of the six-whiskered catfish.
The River Glyph Water Talisman glowed ominously in the dark waters, rendering the catfish momentarily still.
A powerful surge of mental strength hammered into Liang Qu's mind, as though struck by a heavy blow.
Dizzy and disoriented, he felt a warm trickle of blood from his nostrils.
The control of this six-whiskered catfish was proving more perilous than that of the Pig Dragon!
Though both creatures were comparable in size, the Pig Dragon, being in a semi-hibernating state, offered much less mental resistance than the six-whiskered catfish.
After tens of breaths locked in a mental struggle, Liang Qu felt his mental energy rapidly drain away.
Finally, the River Glyph faded beneath the catfish's skin, disappearing, followed by a new, distinct spiritual link appearing in Liang Qu's mind.
Success!
Exhausted but exhilarated, Liang Qu smiled, although a hint of fear lingered.
The resistance of the six-whiskered catfish was truly intense; succeeding with the Pig Dragon before was sheer luck.
Yet now, with the bond established, its life and death were under his command, eliminating any chance of betrayal.
Luck, too, is part of one's skill.
The Marsh Cauldron shimmered.
"[Six-whiskered Catfish successfully subdued, capable of evolution.]"
"[Consume eighty points of Water Essence to evolve the Six-whiskered Catfish into a Tiger-Head Catfish.]"
A similar evolution prompt appeared, though without enough Water Essence, Liang Qu could only postpone this.
Drained of energy from the struggle, he quickly summoned his two beasts, grabbing a tail in each hand and having them help him to the surface for air.
With a splash, he emerged.
"Ahh!" He wiped water from his face, taking deep breaths, and his aching, dizzy mind sharpened again, as if refreshed by a gulp of ice-cold drink in summer.
It was still early, and in the morning light, Liang Qu watched his two beasts with their massive, imposing forms, feeling a profound sense of pride and security.
With these two aiding him, even a sturdy fellow like Scabby-head Zhang falling into the water would be at his mercy.
Yet...
Looking at the torn wound on the six-whiskered catfish's tail, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow—weren't they all like his own children now?
During its tussle with Immovable, the catfish had been bitten, leaving a large scar, though Immovable's thick skin remained unscathed.
The Pig Dragon, though less nimble and enduring than ordinary fish, could take hard hits!
"Since you're so chubby, I'll call you Fat Catfish, Ah Fei!"
Liang Qu named the six-whiskered catfish, feeling a wave of joy from it, he then led the two beasts back to the aquatic territory, snapping a piece of lotus root to feed to the catfish.
Though this piece lacked Water Essence, it still had healing properties, albeit weaker.
After consuming the lotus root, the wound on Ah Fei's tail began to heal visibly, albeit slowly.
It rolled in the water, starting to circle around Liang Qu in playful loops.
Estimating the effect of one piece as sufficient, Liang Qu returned to his boat, feeding a few fish to Immovable, leaving it on guard duty, and tasked the recovering Fat Catfish to fish around the aquatic territory for him.
The six-whiskered catfish possessed an incredible hunting ability; a single gulp could capture numerous small fish without leaving conspicuous wounds to raise suspicions about their source.
This was why Liang Qu wanted to control the six-whiskered catfish.
"Spit the fish you catch into here, careful not to get seen."
He opened a compartment at the stern of the boat, pointing inside.
Despite being a simple small fishing boat, Scabby-head Zhang's vessel was functional, over three meters long, with waterproof compartments at the bow and stern for storing fish.
Fat Catfish bobbed in the water, nodding.
The mental link offered benefits to Water Beasts; Liang Qu observed that those bonded through the link were significantly smarter, capable of some thought beyond mere animal instincts.
Confirming with Ah Fei, Liang Qu did not close the compartment cover and laid down, pulling a straw raincoat over himself before drifting into a deep slumber.
Creating a spiritual link was exceedingly draining; he desperately needed rest to see what awaited him when he awoke.
The sky darkened as the river breeze cooled, casting a shimmering red glow on the water.
Groggy, Liang Qu awoke, glancing westward at the fiery sunset, surprised he had slept until dusk.
His stir from slumber was not natural, but due to a fish flopping up and slapping his face awake.
Puzzled, Liang Qu touched the slimy moisture on his cheek, then sat up, eyes widening at the sight of several large fish flopping on the deck.
To his amazement, the waterproof compartment at the stern of the boat was overflowing with fish!
Some fish leapt out of the narrow opening, either escaping into the river or landing aboard, with the one slapping awake Liang Qu ending by his head.
Astounded by such a bountiful harvest, he realized that even if these were all common fish, they surely valued at least a hundred coins!
Was this all amassed by Ah Fei in just half a day?
Just then, Ah Fei emerged from the water, mouth wide, spitting out three more large fish with a splash.
"Did you catch all these?" Liang Qu asked.
Ah Fei wiggled, bobbing its head.
"Worked alongside Immovable, and there were others that leapt away?"
Assimilating the information through their mental bond, Liang Qu suddenly understood.
Though lacking in flexibility and speed, Immovable could effectively block escape, coordinating seamlessly with Fat Catfish.
Together, they caught almost fifty large fish near the aquatic territory, including a spotted head fish valued at thirty coins!
Their combined catch, totaling a hundred and thirty coins in worth!
Though Immovable's participation meant neglecting its watch duties, such an oversight paled before this haul.
"Wonderful, you both did amazing!"
He praised them repeatedly, then hurriedly scooped the fish into the compartment, covering them with the lid, breaking off and sharing two pieces of lotus root with Immovable and Ah Fei each as a reward.
With over a hundred pieces of lotus lacking Water Essence, he was unconcerned about sparing some.
Surveying Ah Fei's injuries, Liang Qu found they had nearly healed, leaving only a scar.
The rewarded beasts rolled and circled in the water, creating waves of frothy bubbles before diving off to jointly guard the treasured plants by the aquatic territory.
Paddle in hand, Liang Qu rowed towards the dock.
By the time he arrived, night had fallen, with lanterns casting a glow over the pier, as groups of fishermen returned along the shore, preparing for the next outing at dawn.
The sheer volume of his catch, weighing over a hundred pounds, made it difficult to transport all at once.
Liang Qu called over the fish market hand with baskets to help.
A grin spread on Lin Songbao's face, "Ah Shui, you selling fish again today?"
Lin Songbao, the business manager Lin Di's second son, doubled as a market hand.
"Otherwise, I’d never dare use your baskets, right? I’d be skinned alive!"
"Ah Shui, you speak as if we don’t… but our goods are—" Lin Songbao’s words of commercial flattery were lost on Liang Qu, who urged him to hurry with the baskets.
"Looks like a good catch today, might need three baskets," Lin Songbao remarked, arriving by the boat with baskets in hand.
Peering into the congested fish hold, he expressed surprise, "You caught all these?"
"Indeed."
Lin Songbao scanned the haul, estimating a value of over a hundred coins.
Only a handful of skilled fishers at the pier might consistently catch this many, let alone Liang Qu, not yet of age.
Even if luck guided him to a school of fish, it was impressive.
"It seems our dock has gained another skilled fisherman."
He shifted from playful teasing to sincere compliment.
Recently, with Liang Qu’s father, Liang Dajiang, passing, and his black canopy boat sold by others, most expected the orphan to quietly fade away.
Yet he survived and thrived with just a small fishing boat, showcasing outstanding results today.
Righteous Prosperity City had its share of orphans, typically resorting to servitude or begging.
Liang Qu was the first to forge a path of success.
When Lin Songbao appeared at the dock burdened with three overflowing baskets of fish, several fishermen paused in their tracks in astonishment.
(End of Chapter)